Poultry-killer



F. S. RECE AND A. P. CUNNINGHAM.

POULTRY KILLER. APPLICATION FILED 050.14. 1920.

Patented Sept. 6, 192-1.

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F. S. RECE AND A. P. CUNNINGHAM.

POULTRY KILLER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-14., 1920.

1,389,784, PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

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FRANK s. anon AND ALBERT r. CUNNINGHAM,.0F DALLAS, TEXAS.

POULTRY-KILLER.

To all whom it may concern .Be it known that we, FRANK S. Race and ALBERT P. CUNNINGHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Poultry-Killers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a device for killing poultry and has for one object the provision of, a very simple and inexpensive article which may be easily operated by timid or unskilled persons to kill poultry without decapitation, or, if desired, to entirely behead the fowl. Another object of the invention is .to providea device for the stated purpose which may be shipped in a small compass, and a further object of the invention is to provide means whereby injury to persons by accidental movement of the blade will be prevented. Further incidental objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved poultry'killer;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the blank from which the frame orstock is produced;

-Fig. 4; is 'adetail view of the handle or presser member;

Fig. 5 isa horizontal section on the line 5'5of Fig. 2. r

In carrying out the present invention, a blank such as shown in Fig. 3 is employed, the blank being produced by being stamped or punched from sheet metal. As clearly I shown, the blank is a substantially rectanguhr plate having a heart shaped opening 1 at its center and having extensions 2 at one end which are provided with openings 3 adjacent their corners. At the opposite end of the blank are semi-circular leaves or wings A and at said end immediately-adjacent said wings are slots 5 which are disposed longitudinally of the blank and adjacent each end of each of said wings. A notch or recess 6 is provided at one end of the blank between the extensions 2 and openings 7 are provided at intervals adjacent the longitudinal edges of the blank. The blank may be scored, as indicated by dotted lines, and is subsequently folded along the said lines. Through each Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

. Application filed December 14, 1920. Serial No. 430,660.

upon the longitudinal parallel medial lines 9 thereby producing the leaves or sides 10 and 11, the front edges of which are integrally connected by the webs 12 disposed between the said foldlines 9. The heart shape opening 1 of the blank will produce a bayonet slot 13in the stock, the said slot having a closed lower end which forms a seat for the neck of the fowl and having its upper end opening through the front of the frame so that the neck of the fowl may be easily inserted. The tongues or extensions 2 are folded horizontally so as to form base plates which may be rigidly secured to a fixed support by screws or other fastenings inserted through the openings 3, as will be readily understood. The wings 4 are also folded horizontally outward, .as shown in Fig. 1, and for a purpose which will presently appear. The leaves or branches .10 and 11 should be parallel, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, and will obviously be free of each other at their rear edges. The rear edge portions of the leaves are, however, folded upon the lines 14 thereby producing outwardly projecting flanges 15 which serve to reinforce the stock and prevent buckling of the same. To further reinforce the stock and prevent spreading of the rear end thereof, shouldered rivets 16 are inserted through the registering openings 7 of the blank and are upset in the usual manner so that the rear edges of the leaves will be securely connected.

The wings, lips, or flanges 4 constitute abutments for a spring 17 coiled around the shank 18 of the cutter and this shank is preferably formed integral with a blade 19 which is arranged between the leaves 10 and 11 of the stock and is guided by the webs 12'and the spacing rivets 16. The shank 18 is equipped at its upper end with a handle or presser head which may conveniently consist of two right angular brackets having theirvertical webs or members 20 riveted to the opposite fiat sides of the shank and their upper members 21 extending laterally in opposite directions from the shank. The members 21 present plates of proper size and dimensions to be comfortable to the hand of the user and permit suihcient pressure to depress the knife to be easily applied to the cutter. The upper end of the spring 17 bears against the under sides of the, memhere 21 and, therefore, tends normally to i hold the cutter in its raised position shown in Fig.2 of the drawings. The blade 19 of the cutter is'V-shaped and presents a central point 22 and sharpened edges 23 diverging upwardly therefrom and from the upper edge of the blade at each end thereof extends a guiding tongue 24 which is spaced from the central shank 18 and is adapted to slidably engage the webs 12 and the spacer rivets 16 respectively. It will be readily noted, upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, that an elongated notch or recess is formed between the central shank andeach guiding tongue and the spring 17 is received within these recesses. A clip .25 has its end members inserted through the slots 5 ofthe stock, and the said end members also pass through the elongated recesses or notches between the shank 18 and the guiding tongues 241 of the cutter so that they also serve'as guiding means to hold the-cutter to a rectilinear path in the operation of the device. A cotter pin or equivalent device 26 is inserted through the free ends of the clip 25 and prevents accidental withdrawal of the same and it will be readily noted that this clip constitutes a stop to limit the upwardmovement of the cutter under the influence of the'spring 17 so that withdrawal ofthe cutter from the stock or frame will be prevented. At the same time, if it be desired to disassemble the parts so as to per- V cutter will be effectually guided and will be positively prevented "from deviating from its desired straight path while at the same time friction between the parts which would tend to retard the operation and make the device hard to manipulate is practically eliminated.

Through the cutter at the junction of the blade and the shank we form an opening 27 which will register with the openings 8' in the stockwhen the cutter is raised and a pin or key 28-may then be inserted through the registering openings so that the cutter will be held in the raised position and accidental depression of the cutter will be prevented. This'feature of the device is to be specially noted inasmuch as it prevents injury to children who may obtain access to the device in their'play. A-second opening 29 is provided through the shank, near the upper end; thereof, and this opening 29 will. register with the openings 8 when the cutter is fully depressed so that if the key 28 be then inserted through the registering openings the cutter will be housed fully within the stock and the shank and the guiding tongues will also be in such posidiately at the upper edge of the neck-re-' ceiving slot so that a light tap upon the handle will cause the point toenter the neck of the fowl and puncture the spinal cord so that the fowl will be instantly killed and bleeding or draining of the neck will be permitted. This operation will commend the device to poultrydealers who prefer the head of the fowl to be left thereon, while domestic users whodesire the head removed may accomplish that end by: delivering a harder blow upon the handle, whereupon the blade will be caused to move entirely across the neck of the fowl and belie-ad the same. Upon release of the pressure upon the handle, the spring 17 will at once expand andraise the cutter to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 so that the killed fowl may be easily removed and another live fowl brought into position to be killed. While theislot 13 will facilitate the engagement of the neck'of'the fowl in the seat therefor immediately below the" point oft-he cutter, it will prevent the fowl coming in contact with the cutter while beingbrought into position in the seat and needless pain is. therefore, avoided.

The form of blade employed stabs the fowl and cuts in both directions from the center of the neck so that the neck will be severed with very little effort and anyone can use'the device without fatigue. The form V of blank herein shown and described materially simplifies the die work neededto pro-' duce the same compared with constructions" heretofore employed and alsosaves considerable material. The present construction is very strong inasmuch as the leaves are held firmly in spaced relation at their rear edges by the shouldered rivets and are integrally connected atftheir front edges by the webs bridging said edges. Furthermore,

the shouldered spacing rivets act as guides to the cutter [and as they present a ve minute surface to the guide they effectually accomplish the guiding function with a minimum degree of friction. The present construction, furthermore, leaves the stock open at the rear edge so that the blood which necessarily flows from the wound inflicted in killing the fowl has free egress from the stock and is not held therein to clog the same and breed disease germs. This open construction, furthermore, facilitates cleaning of the device inasmuch as hot water or other cleaning agent may be readily poured into the space between the leaves or branches of the stock and will find ready egress through the open rear side of the same.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a stock having a neck-receiving bayonet-slot opening between its ends, a cutter housed within the stock and operable across the neck-receiving opening therein, a shank extending from the cutter through and above the upper end of the stock and provided with vertically spaced transverse openings, means for holding the cutter normally in its upper position, and a key insertible through the sides of the stock at the upper end thereof and through either opening in the shank for locking the cutter in an inoperative position within the stock at either side'of the neck receiving opening therein.

2. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a stock consisting of parallel sides separated through the entire height of their rear edges and having neck-receiving bayonet-slots opening through their front edges, webs integrally connecting the front edges of the sides above and belowthe said slots, spacing members disposed between and secured to the said sides at adjacent the rear edges thereof, a blade mounted for vertical reciprocation between the sides of the stock and having guiding tongues slidably engaging the said webs and the said spacing members, means for normally maintaining the cutter at the upper limit of its movement, and means carried by the sides of the stock to limit the upward movement of the cutter.

3. A device for the purpose set forth comprising a stock consisting of parallel sides having neck-receiving bayonet-slots opening through their front edges, webs integrally connecting said sides at their front edges above and below the bayonet slots, spacing members disposed between and secured to the sides at intervals adjacent their rear edges, outwardly projecting reinforcing flanges extending longitudinally of the rear edges of the sides, a cutter mounted for vertical reciprocation between the sides of the stock and having guiding tongues slidably engaging the said webs and the said spacer members, yieldable means for holding the cutter raised, and means carried by the sides of the stock to limit the upward movement of the cutter.

i. A blank for the frame of a poultry killer consisting of a single integral sheet having a large inverted U-shaped slot therethrough at its center and provided with spaced openings adjacent its side edges and further provided with bendable tongues projecting' from its end edges.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

FRANK S. RECE. ALBERT P. CUNNINGHAM.

[L. s.] [L s.] 

